Where will Sailing Take You? Interview with Lorenzo Chiavarini

Hi I’m Lorenzo Chiavarini, I’m in the British Sailing team, sailing the Laser. I’m from the west coast of Scotland, on the Crinan canal and I’m here to answer some Sailingfast questions.

So, first one is: How did I get into Sailing?

I moved from Italy, from Rome to the West Coast (of Scotland) to the Crinnan canal. I got into sailing on the canal with my dog, and after that I started enjoying it a lot so I moved to the Topper class and started sailing at the local sailing clubs around me.

I was probably about 8 when I started sailing Toppers and I got into my first Scottish Topper National Squad at around 2005.

My coach back then was Kirsty Mcsimile , and later on Duncan Hepplewhite in the Laser Scottish Squad.

After the Topper I moved into the Laser, the 4.7 and the Radial and then the standard. And since 2011 I have been sailing Standards nearly full time, trying to achieve my goal of representing in the Olympics.

My coolest experience so far?

There’s so many – training out in Rio prior to the Olympics, it’s a fantastic venue and it really pushed me but I think the highlight for me was winning the Europeans last year in Porto but no, I have a great squad with me. The Laser Standard British Sailing Team is so strong and we’re traveling all over the place, really tight squad with a lot of talented sailors. And we’re really pushing each other, really strong performances.

And where am I now?

I am at the World Championships in Melbrounce. Sailing has brought me to fantastic places, I’m really lucky.

Plans for the future?

Carrying on hopefully until Marseille 2024 and pushing through to get to the Olympics.

If you would like to follow Lorenzo on his dream to reach the Olympics, you can follow him on Facebook or read more about his journey with British Sailing.